Szechuan French Green Beans
A homemade Szechuan sauce is good on anything…or even by itself! You can liven up any vegetable with this sauce and it is a great side or main dish. It covers the sweet & salty and umami to the tenth. I can’t get enough of this sauce. I make it on any veggies I have or even with just plain rice. It is super super delicious. When I made these Szechuan French Green Beans I ate the whole pan…DH had to fend for himself that night! This is a Vegetarian & a Vegan Recipe too.
I have made this too many times to count as a simple side and even when I just feel like a veggie overload. I am entering this in “House Favorites: Vegan” for this month, hosted by Claire on Chez Cayenne.
Delicious Rating: Easy recipe and Delicious! What more can I say?
FOR RECIPE & PHOTO GUIDE CLICK →
- 1 lb french green beans, ends trimmed
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp red wine
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 5 tbsp scallions, minced
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Steam green beans for 5-minutes.
- Rinse with cold water and drain.
- Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, wine, and sugar in a small bowl.
- Heat oil in large skillet and stir-fry beans for 1 minute.
- Set beans aside on a platter.
- Reheat oil and add onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Return beans to skillet and fry for an additional minute.
- Add sauce and coat beans well.
- Serve immediately.

Make sure not to overcook your green beans. Keep them firm but cooked!
The sauce smells and tastes delicious. Don’t leave out the fresh ginger. It really gives this recipe exactly what they need to be delicious!
Delicious!
Oh yum! I’m always looking for a new way to cook green beans. I’ll bet this would be good on broccoli too. Thanks for sending this to House Favorites.
Claire, I am sure this sauce would be great on Broccoli. Let me know how it turns out!
The House Favorites wrap up has been posted! Come check it out, and thanks again for your entry.
Found this recipe. Want to try it. What does one do with the crushed red pepper? I can’t see to find it in the recipe. Does it go in with the onion, garlic, ginger and scallions?
I’m not fond of sweet dishes in the main part of the meal. 2 Tablespoons of sugar is quite a lot. Is this more of a sweet and sour sauce?
Jane, add them along with the garlic and ginger. The sauce is not very sweet from the sugar but more balanced out in flavors all around!
This was delicious! Not sweet at all.
Glad you like them Betty!
Are crushed red peppers the same as red pepper flakes?
They are the same CC!
I see sesame seeds in the photo but none in the recipe. What’s up?
Lori! You know what, the sesame seeds are in the sesame oil I use but if you don’t have sesame seeds, no big deal. If you do, use them if you would like.
5 stars! Excellent!
Glad you like them Michele!
I am going to a picnic could these be served cold?
Thanks,
K
I think if brought to room temp and mixed they would work. Let me know! Thanks Kelly
How can I make these beans ahead and take to a party for consumption 4hours later?
You can steam the beans and make the sauce ahead of time and then stir fry them together before you are ready to serve.